Ceiling construction



1953 v. E. PETERSON CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1948 INVENTOR ZL'CZO Z fkigrsm/ Patented May 19, i953 r CEILING CONSTRUCTION Victor E. Peterson, Niles, Mich., assignor to The Kawneer Company, Niles, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 25, 1948, Serial No. 51,159

(o1. 1s9 s2) 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to metal ceilings and is specifically directed to the solution of a problem heretofore troublesome in the installation of metal ceilings of the cellular or louvred type.

It has been previously proposed to provide a ceiling structure consisting of an open framework suspended somewhat below the actual ceiling of a room and arranged to support a number of relatively large, fiat panels of intersecting metal strips forming small cells or louvres, so that the entire structure functions as a visual screen to intercept the line of sight at normal viewing angles. Thus lighting fixtures, overhead pipes, ventilators, fans, air ducts, etc., above the screen may be hidden from View, yet the screen transmits and diffuses light, and permits an unrestricted movement of air. Ceilings constructed along these lines have been enthusiastically received, but certain difficulties have been encountered in their installation, since the individual panels may be as large as four or five feet square and the thin, fragile material of which they are made is consequently easily subject to damage in shipping. Moreover, the inherently bulky nature of these panels makes the material difficult and expensive to pack and prepare for shipment, and gives rise to unnecessarily high transportation costs.

It has also been previously proposed that louvred panels made up of a multiplicity of fiat strips could be shipped unassembled and fitted together on the job. Attempts to follow this practice have shown it to be impractical, however, and it appears that quick, easy and efficient assembly of the multiple intersecting strips can be accomplished only by operators using special jigs and fixtures, and having considerable experience as well as a high degree of skill and dexterity.

It has never been regarded as feasible to assemble the panels at the factory and fold them into flattened position for shipping, since in panels heretofore designed this this imparts a permanent set to the metal, and detracts from the appearance of the panels to such an extent that they are not acceptable for their intended purpose. In this connection it should be noted that the inherent beauty of a ceiling panel of this type can be largely destroyed by a relatively minor misalignment or distortion of the individual strips and that for attractive appearance it is not only essential that the strips be accurately fitted together, but it is also necessary that each strip be perfectly straight and absolutely 2 flat, so that they combine to form a perfectly smooth, regular pattern.

The teachings of the present invention offer a solution to this problem whereby all of the strips of the individual panels may be assembled at the factory, yet wherein the construction and relationship of the strips is such that the panel may be folded or collapsed for shipping without damage to the met-a1 and may thereafter be expanded to its full size with each strip perfectly straight, fiat and undistorted. Specifically, the invention resides in the provision of a T-shaped interlocking notch at each point of intersection between the strips, so that the metal is not flexed beyond its yield strength when the panel is collapsed. The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings of this specification wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a sample panel of intersecting strips constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental side view of one of the interlocking strips showing an intersectional slot as contemplated by the present teachings; and

Figure 4 is a detail perspective View showing the manner in which two intersecting strips of the panel may be folded into collapsed position.

As seen in Figure 1, the panel consists of a multiplicity of identical intersecting fiat metal strips, with the strips extending in one direction inverted with respect to those extending to the other. Thus the strips I0 have intersectional notches (generally indicated at I I) extending upwardly from the lower edges, While the strips [2 have identical notches extending downwardly from the top edges so that the two sets of strips fit together and lie in the same plane. The notches H include a vertical slot i3 of width slightly greater than the thickness of the mating metal strip and of a length equal to about half the width of a strip. According to the teachings of this invention the upper end of the slot I3 is T-sh'aped, providing opposite wings I4 extending away from each side of the slot. The wings l4 thus sever the metal between the fins I5 on each side of the slot and the rest of the strip, leaving the inner ends of the fins unsupported and thus giving these fins sufficient flexibility to allow the panel to fold without becoming permanently distorted. The exact size, shape and proportions of the slot may vary within limits, but highly satisfactory results have been obtained by wings M of a length of '1 s inch each for metal of about 3 .025 thickness. The slots should be about .002 Wider than the thickness of the metal.

In use, the panels are assembled at the factory, it being understood that while the drawings herein illustrate a relatively small sample of the panel, the commercial embodiment may comprise a panel four or five feet square with the individual cells from one to four inches wide, with the result that each panel may include a considerably larger number of intersecting strips than here shown. The panels are assembled in suitable jigs and fixtures provided for the pur pose, and are then folded or collapsed for shipping (Figure 4). this does not impart a permanent set. to the metal, since the wings M of the intersectional notches are of sufficient length that the yield strength in the end fins i5 is not exceeded when the panel is folded. Thus when the panel is unpacked and again moved to expanded position the inherentresiliency in the metal of the fins (5 will cause them to resume their original position in the precise plane of the remainder of the strip. The result is a panel wherein each of the individual strips is entirely fiat and in perfect alignment.

From the above it will be seen that the teachings of this invention accomplish a result that is of real importance in the installation of ceilings of this character, since it results in important. economies in shipping, packing and han- It is to be noted, however, that;

dling costs, yet does so without sacrifice of the advantages of accuracy, speed and precision that may be accomplished only by factory assembly.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a ceiling construction including a multipli'city of interlocking fiat metal strips, each of said interlocking strips having a plurality of regularly spaced interlocking notches; each of said notches being of T-shaped configuration having a straight narrow center portion and a pair of oppositely extending wings at the inner endof said center portion separating the edges of the notch fro m theadjoining metal of the strip to provide unsupported, relatively flexible fins at each side of the notch whereby when an assembly of such strips is collapsed, the fins are flexed within their elastic limits and return to normal coplanar position with the strips upon expanding the assembly.

VICTOR E. PETERSON;

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED, STATES PATENTS Number- Name Date 436,538 Mitchell Sept. 16, 1890 1,896,957 Hutcheson Feb. '7', 1933 1,995,482; Plautz Mar. 26, I935 

